The present invention relates generally to a plumbing trap system.
In conventional systems, a single plumbing trap is located below an open drain and a drain, hose, pipe or the like from a machine (e.g., a dishwasher) that drains water or liquid. This configuration allows either the pressure change that results from fluid flow from the machine to have a direct force on the fluid in the single trap, or the fluid flow, to occur through the single trap.
The direct effect on the trap is a pressure differential, the resulting force from the pressure change on the fluid in the single trap system exceeding the pressure of the liquid in the single trap. This, in turn, allows the pressure change to be transmitted to the surface fluid on the open-air end of the trap. Due to the extreme and variable nature of the pressure change, a highly turbulent state of the liquid is created. This, in turn, allows the noise of the draining action to be audible in the open drain. In most cases, the noise level is almost that of a car passing.
Referring to FIG. 1, there is seen a schematic view of a conventional plumbing trap system 10, which includes a first draining device 14 and a second draining device 22. The first draining device 14 may be, for example, a sink, and the second draining device 22 may be, for example, a dishwasher. The sink 14 includes a drain 12, through which waste water flows into drain tube 16. The waste water flows from drain tube 16 through sanitary trap 18 to waste line 34 and then to the municipal sewer system, a septic tank or the like, not shown. A fitting 26 is provided in drain tube 16 and is adapted to receive a drain tube or hose 24 from the dishwasher 22. Waste water from the dishwasher 22 is conventionally pumped under pressure into the plumbing trap system 10 by a pump, not shown, and waste water from the dishwasher 22 drains through the plumbing trap system 10 in the same manner as waste water from drain 12. The draining action and pumping of the waste water from the dishwasher 22 causes noise to emanate from the drain 12, which is considered an xe2x80x9copen-airxe2x80x9d drain. The noise emanating from drain 12 has been measured empirically in one example to exceed 80 dB at its peak frequencies.
The literature is replete with descriptions of plumbing trap systems. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 311,086 to Putnam describes a water trap arrangement having a sanitary trap arranged in series with an inverted overflow. The sanitary trap and overflow are separated by a horizontal length of pipe.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,268,379 to Murphy describes a sanitary trap being provided with a pair of water seals arranged in series between a single draining device and the waste discharge. A vent is provided between the two water seals to discharge any gas, which is forced upstream under pressure, from emanating from the draining device. A plug is also provided between the water seals to allow access for clearing the trap should the trap become clogged.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,311,287 also to Murphy describes a similar sanitary trap having a pair of water seals arranged in series between a single draining device and the waste discharge.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,644,543 to Russell describes a waste fitting, which includes a pair of U-shaped traps arranged in parallel between a pair of sinks and the waste discharge pipe.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,938,241 to Teel describes a sanitary dumping bay and potable water system. The system includes a first drain for receiving waste material discharged from, for example, a recreational vehicle. The first drain feeds into a first trap. The system further includes a water supply for supplying potable water to the recreational vehicle, for supplying water to flush waste through the drain and for cleaning purposes. A backflow prevention device directs any water flowing back into the water supply into a drain, which includes a second trap. The two traps are arranged in parallel.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,868,011 to Hawkins et al. describes a water trap for a washing machine. The water trap is disposed between the drain of the tub of the washing machine and the pump, which pumps water from the drain. The water trap prevents noise caused by the pump from emanating from the drain.
Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 5,975,846 to Wistinghausen describes a pump for a household appliance, wherein a water trap is disposed between the drain of the appliance and the pump to limit noise emanating from the pump.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a plumbing trap system, which reduces the noise emanating from a first draining device caused by the draining of a second draining device.
The above and other beneficial objects of the present invention are most effectively attained by providing a plumbing trap system as described and claimed herein. In one embodiment, the plumbing trap system includes two sanitary traps arranged in series. A first draining device drains into the first sanitary trap and then into the second sanitary trap, and a second draining device drains into the second sanitary trap. Noise caused by the draining of the second draining device and emanating from the first draining device is thereby decreased.